Hardest fitness challenge you've done?

[HH81]

Was thinking about this the other day. Over the years I have gone from fit to fat to fit to fat and repeat.

When I think back at what's been the hardest challenge I always go for a canal walk I did Liverpool to Leeds 127 miles over 4 days. I just remember the pain each morning waking up.

Also done the following:-

Marathon (ran)
Ben Nevis
Scafell pike
Yorkshire 3 peaks (in one day)

I'd say single hardest day was 3 peaks but putting together whole challenge I'd go for canal walk.

Be interesting to see what others have done, where it nearly broke you?

Got to say I've never even been as pleased to see Leeds in my whole life!!!

[Stairway 2 7]

50 mile race but that was similar to a marathon in terms of physical pain just a long slog. Done the 3 peaks Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. The walking really wasn't bad tiredness from minibus and zero sleep was worse.


The summer before I did my highers I did removals with my dad's pal. Piano's and boxes of books up top stairs all week put any sport I've done in the distance. Felt bad for the older lads doing it, bodies must be knackered eventually.

We got all the equipment to do the west Highland way then the wife got pregnant so it's still in the cupboard. Would love to do that when we one is bigger. Would really love to do the Camino de Santiago trail too

[Pretty Boy]

I have run both a 12 hour and 24 hour fixed time event round the same looped course of 5K. That's as mentally challenging as it is physical. At least with a point to point race there is something new to look at, on the 24 hour loop it's the same things for 130+ miles and it's draining. I do fancy a 'backyard ultra' event as the idea of their being no fixed end point outside your own head or everyone else failing adds another dimension again.

I've walked the West Highland Way multiple times but the 1st we were right for time so did it in 4 days, wild camping and carried packs on our backs. That was a stupid idea and there wasn't huge enjoyment in it. I became a bit of an unofficial guide for mates on the route for a while and the other times they chose to avail themselves of baggage transport companies and B&Bs, hostels or hotels which is definitely a more pleasant experience.

[Peanut Shaz]

50 mile race but that was similar to a marathon in terms of physical pain just a long slog. Done the 3 peaks Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. The walking really wasn't bad tiredness from minibus and zero sleep was worse.


The summer before I did my highers I did removals with my dad's pal. Piano's and boxes of books up top stairs all week put any sport I've done in the distance. Felt bad for the older lads doing it, bodies must be knackered eventually.

We got all the equipment to do the west Highland way then the wife got pregnant so it's still in the cupboard. Would love to do that when we one is bigger. Would really love to do the Camino de Santiago trail too

I have done the Camino Frances, it is a fantastic experience. Would highly recommend.

[Stairway 2 7]

I have done the Camino Frances, it is a fantastic experience. Would highly recommend.

Amazing, would love to do it one day. I read the brill "The Only Way Is West" and put it high on the bucket list

[Hibrandenburg]

Arctic Warfare Training. I'd done lots of difficult challenges voluntary/compulsory in my time, but this was the hardest of them all. The training prior to the course started around September with long runs in ski boots carrying weight and culminating in a race over 20km carrying sandbags weighing 30km. But that was nothing compared to the course itself.

14 days in the field on skis and snow shoes climbing up and down mountains in Arctic Norway carrying Bergens weighing in excess of 40kg at times. Everything you needed to survive had to be carried including your food, shelter, tools and weaponry. Constantly stripping and adding layers of clothing to compensate for sweating through strenuous activity and temperatures well below zero.

Sleeping in different types of provisional shelter like snow holes, tree pit bivouacs, tent sheets, igloos and lean-to shelters. The basic principle of Arctic Warfare is to survive the elements whilst disturbing your enemy enough that he succumbs to them. Surviving in those conditions is difficult enough but fighting in them is challenging to say the least.

I've ran marathons, marched 5 consecutive days totalling over 200km carrying house and home and lived on a mountain top for the best part of 6 months, but nothing came near to being as physically and mentally challenging as those Arctic Warfare courses.

[Northernhibee]

Headed to the toilets in my local Wetherspoon’s

[Stairway 2 7]

Headed to the toilets in my local Wetherspoon’s

You'll have calves of steel if it's the standing order

[Mon Dieu4]

First one that springs to mind is that I hadn't done any kind of fitness in about 5 years or so, all my pals signed up to do a 5k, I didn't, the night before the 5k we were all out and reekin, one of my pals announced he was injured and wouldn't be doing it

They had all been training for months and in a bit of pished bravado I said I could rock up and beat them all since I used to be really good at distance running as a kid

I had about 3 hours sleep and rocked up in a pair of Stan Smiths, Brazil Shorts and a Hibs t-shirt

My plan was to keep pace with them until the last 100m or so then just blast them out the water but when we set off and as I hadnt done any training to realise what would be a good pace to go it, I was thinking everyone is going really slow

I just took off like a bat out of hell, on two occasions on the run i got a stitch and someone in fancy dress overtook me, I thought I'm no getting beat off him and took off again

I ended up beating all my pals by at least a minute, came in the top 50 odd but because it was my pal that had registered it was his name on the results

At the end of the race Miss Scotland was there to congratulate you and get a picture taken, she got told to **** off while I went and collapsed under a tree then couldn't walk properly for about 5 days, never again

[Hibrandenburg]

First one that springs to mind is that I hadn't done any kind of fitness in about 5 years or so, all my pals signed up to do a 5k, I didn't, the night before the 5k we were all out and reekin, one of my pals announced he was injured and wouldn't be doing it

They had all been training for months and in a bit of pished bravado I said I could rock up and beat them all since I used to be really good at distance running as a kid

I had about 3 hours sleep and rocked up in a pair of Stan Smiths, Brazil Shorts and a Hibs t-shirt

My plan was to keep pace with them until the last 100m or so then just blast them out the water but when we set off and as I hadnt done any training to realise what would be a good pace to go it, I was thinking everyone is going really slow

I just took off like a bat out of hell, on two occasions on the run i got a stitch and someone in fancy dress overtook me, I thought I'm no getting beat off him and took off again

I ended up beating all my pals by at least a minute, came in the top 50 odd but because it was my pal that had registered it was his name on the results

At the end of the race Miss Scotland was there to congratulate you and get a picture taken, she got told to **** off while I went and collapsed under a tree then couldn't walk properly for about 5 days, never again

:greengrin

On a similar note I got back to Berlin after spending nearly 6 months on a mountain top on West Falkland only to be told by my boss that I'd been entered for the half marathon the following weekend. I'd done zero training other that walk up and down the mountain to collect fags and booze left at the base station by the helicopter when the weather was too bad to land at the summit. Thankfully Berlin is pretty flat so I just jogged round in a leisurely manner at 1:47.

[marinello59]

:greengrin

On a similar note I got back to Berlin after spending nearly 6 months on a mountain top on West Falkland only to be told by my boss that I'd been entered for the half marathon the following weekend. I'd done zero training other that walk up and down the mountain to collect fags and booze left at the base station by the helicopter when the weather was too bad to land at the summit. Thankfully Berlin is pretty flat so I just jogged round in a leisurely manner at 1:47.

After a boozy night gone wrong a few of us volunteered to enter the Port Stanley Half Marathon. We didn’t do any training as most of us were pretty fit but three months on a diet of compo and beer hadn’t done us any favours. To say the organisation was basic would be an understatement. On the day we were driven 13 miles out of Stanley over a mixture of hardcore and dirt roads, dropped off and told to just run back the way we came. We were warned that any short cuts we may be tempted by were more than likely minefields so best avoided. I can’t recall the time but it couldn’t have been great as two of us spent the last couple of miles carrying our mate to the finish line.

[Hibrandenburg]

After a boozy night gone wrong a few of us volunteered to enter the Port Stanley Half Marathon. We didn’t do any training as most of us were pretty fit but three months on a diet of compo and beer hadn’t done us any favours. To say the organisation was basic would be an understatement. On the day we were driven 13 miles out of Stanley over a mixture of hardcore and dirt roads, dropped off and told to just run back the way we came. We were warned that any short cuts we may be tempted by were more than likely minefields so best avoided. I can’t recall the time but it couldn’t have been great as two of us spent the last couple of miles carrying our mate to the finish line.

:greengrin

Never got to visit the bright lights of the Capital City when I was down there, landed at Mount Pleasant and was whipped off hungover on a helicopter ride to Mount Adam on West Falkland the next day. Wasn't aware I was prone to travel sickness until that day.

If we ever cross paths, maybe we could pull out a couple of sandbags, swing the lantern and exchange a few war stories.

[marinello59]

:greengrin

Never got to visit the bright lights of the Capital City when I was down there, landed at Mount Pleasant and was whipped off hungover on a helicopter ride to Mount Adam on West Falkland the next day. Wasn't aware I was prone to travel sickness until that day.

If we ever cross paths, maybe we could pull out a couple of sandbags, swing the lantern and exchange a few war stories.

You didn’t miss much, Vegas it isn’t. :greengrin

[danhibees1875]

I've done Edinburgh marathon and about 30 munroes, one day I done 7 (Ben Lawers circuit) which was quite a tough day.

I think the hardest though was the "Caledonian Challenge" - a 54 mile walk, starting north of Fort William and following the WHW. I think it took about 18 hours to complete - the last few hours were physically and mentally challenging.

[stu in nottingham]

Five Marathons including two Londons and the Calgary Miracle Marathon.

A 30-mile run.

Twenty-odd Half Marathons.

Numerous 120-mile training weeks.